“Brisa, get down!” he bellowed.
She instantly dropped to the ground, just as Darius closed the distance between them and swung the sword over her head. The sound of it meeting something equally metallic rang in her ears.
“You’re quick, warrior. I have to give you that,” said the same voice she’d heard on the beach. Only this time it didn’t seem to come from all around. It came from directly behind her.
Brisa slowly turned her head and looked up. A man stood at her back, holding a sword crossed with Darius’. He might appear human at first glance, but his glowing, red eyes told her otherwise. Her fear returning to its previous level, she crawled out of the way, then gained her feet and went to stand behind Darius, closer to the gate.
Darius growled. “I know what you are, demon. You’re not supposed to be in the mortal realm.”
The man—demon—laughed. “But here I am. And guess what, I didn’t escape the underworld alone. Others are hunting down the rest of the warriors of Anubis. We’re going to get rid of you all.”
Brisa screamed as the demon went on the attack, his sword moving so fast she could barely track it. Miraculously, Darius countered with the same speed. She stood, watching mesmerized, unable to move, as the fight began in earnest.
To her, Darius and the demon seemed evenly matched, but then Darius lost some ground, bringing the pair of them closer to Brisa. She walked backward until her back hit the gate and she stood in a bit of sand that had worked its way under it.
Growls continued to rumble out of Darius as he blocked each hit. He seemed to push the demon back a bit. She held her breath when a gold knife appeared in his other hand and he tried to slip it past the demon’s guard. His opponent ran his sword across Darius’ forearm before he kicked the smaller blade out of his hand. It landed close to Brisa’s feet.
“Your dagger won’t work on me, warrior. It was made only for the mortal evildoers you hunt. But this, on the other hand,” a dagger Brisa hadn’t seen him holding was thrust into Darius’ side, “was made specifically to take you out.”
Darius grunted in pain as he looked down at the dagger sticking from between his ribs. He dropped to his knees, his sword slipping from his fingers. He blinked his eyes, as if he were having a hard time seeing or staying conscious.
The demon laughed cruelly. “Right about now, you should be weakening. The blade is as spelled as your gold one. And from looking at you, I think it’s doing its job. Now all I have to do is finish you off.”
Brisa didn’t think, she just acted. She bent and picked up Darius’ gold dagger with one hand and a fistful of sand with the other. As the demon moved in to make his next strike, she threw the sand in his face, hitting him in the eyes. He cried out and staggered back a step, wiping at his face. Only thinking to protect Darius while he was down, she shifted closer to the demon and cut him across the cheek. He swung at her, knocking her to the ground.
She lifted her head, tasting blood in her mouth where he’d struck her, and saw Darius lurching to his feet with a loud growl. He went after the demon, all teeth and claws. Taking sword cuts to his belly and thigh didn’t deter Darius from trying to beat down his opponent. At one point, Brisa thought Darius was about to take the demon out, but just before he could make the final strike, the demon disappeared. His disembodied voice said, “I’ll be back, warrior, to take out you and your mortal bitch.”
Shaking all over, Brisa saw Darius sway on his feet. He let out a groan before he collapsed on the ground. She let out a shout and ran to his side. What fear she’d felt for him was now gone. The demon scared her more. Darius had done everything he could to protect her.
She knelt beside him and dropped the gold dagger. His eyes were closed. “Darius.” When he didn’t stir, she tried again, louder. “Darius! You have to wake up. I can’t get you into the house by myself.”
Thinking the worst when she still didn’t get any kind of reaction, she held her hand out in front of his muzzle. A puff of warm air hit her palm with each breath he took. Brisa sighed with relief.
Needing to rouse Darius, she took hold of his shoulders and shook him. He groaned. “Come on, Darius. You have to wake up.”
He finally opened his eyes. “Brisa?”
“Yeah, it’s me. We have to get you in the house.”
“The demon.”
“He’s gone. For now. Let’s get you on your feet.”
She grabbed his hand and stood before she slowly pulled him up in a sitting position. Getting him to stand proved a little more difficult. He was so much bigger than her. By the time she managed it, with his arm around her shoulders and hers around his waist, she was breathing hard and her muscles were shaking from the strain.
Taking the time to only retrieve the two weapons, she steered Darius toward the back of the house. They stepped through the door at the kitchen, which Darius had left unlocked. That was as far as he made it. He stumbled, then fell. Brisa was forced to let him go before he dragged her down with him.
Chapter Eight
Still huffing and puffing, Brisa sat on the floor next to Darius. “We’ll rest for a bit, then try to get you upstairs.”
“No. Too far,” Darius said. “Take the dagger out. It’s making me weak. I should heal after that.”
She swallowed. “You want me to pull it out?”
“It’s the only way.”
Brisa stood, then crossed over to the light switch and flipped it on. While she was at it, she opened drawers until she found the one that had clean tea towels in it. She snatched up a few and returned to Darius.
She knelt, her gaze taking in the spots where the fur on his body was matted with blood. She swallowed past the large lump that formed in her throat. “If I pull out the dagger, you’re going to bleed, a lot.”
“Do it. Won’t heal unless you do.” Darius’ voice sounded weaker. His eyes kept trying to close.
Taking a deep breath for courage, Brisa gently wrapped her hand around the hilt of the dagger. She counted to three, then gave it a hard yank. It made a wet, sucking sound as it came free of Darius’ body. He growled. She dropped it to the floor and quickly wadded up a tea towel and pressed it to his side as blood seemed to gush from the wound. She continued to apply pressure, waiting to see his wounds heal as Darius said they would.
She started to feel concerned when the first towel became totally blood soaked. The second she reapplied was quickly doing the same. “Darius, I don’t think you’re healing.”
His head rolled toward her. “I’m not. Need help. Have to talk to Anubis. He can…” Darius passed out.
Brisa shook him several times, but she couldn’t rouse him. “No, no, no,” she said, a chill running down her spine. Darius continued to bleed profusely. At this rate, he’d bleed out.
Concentrating on what Darius had said before he’d lost consciousness, she remembered the small room off the living room that was dedicated to the Egyptian god, Anubis. Darius had said he had been praying to the god. Maybe he’d actually spoken with Anubis.
Desperate and ready to try anything, Brisa surged to her feet and ran to the living room. She whipped open the door to the other room inside it. Not sure if this would work, or that Anubis would actually hear her if he truly were real, she cleared her throat.
“Anubis, help me. Please. Darius needs you. I think he’s going to die if you don’t. There’s so much blood.”
Brisa held her breath and waited. Then just about jumped out of her skin when a voice filled her head.
Tell me what happened, Brisa.
“You know my name,” she squeaked. Brisa felt another presence in the room with her. Holy shit, she was actually talking to an Egyptian god.
Anubis chuckled. Yes, I know your name. Darius told me about you. Now what has happened?
“Darius and I were on the beach when he suddenly shifted into something half human and some kind of animal. Then a demon appeared and they fought. Darius ended up stabbed in the side with a spelled dagger that is making h
im too weak to heal. I can’t get him to stop bleeding. I’m afraid he’s going to die if you don’t help him.” Brisa’s breath hitched on the last words.
It’ll be all right. Darius is one of my warriors. He’s immortal. He can’t die from major blood loss. It will only make him very weak and vulnerable. The two spells—the one used to force him to shift and the one embedded in the dagger—must be stopping Darius from healing. I take it he’s still in his half-human and half-jackal form?
“Yes. He’s on the kitchen floor passed out.” A jackal. That made sense. Anubis was mostly portrayed as the jackal-headed god.
I can’t come to you, but I can be of assistance from the underworld. Stay here while I look Darius over.
Brisa impatiently waited for Anubis to speak again. The seconds seemed to drag on. She wanted to get back to Darius. The thought of leaving him alone, lying on the kitchen floor, bleeding all over it, made her anxious to return to him. Seeing him so wounded, looking as if he could be close to dying, all she could think of was that she didn’t want to lose him. She loved him. Brisa didn’t give a crap what he was, she just wanted the man. Wanted to see him unhurt, be as he’d been. She had to swallow back the tears that threatened to flow. Only one escaped, running down her cheek. With a rough sweep of her hand she wiped it away. Now was not the time to break down. Darius needed her.
Brisa?
“Yes.” The sound of Anubis’ voice never sounded so good.
I’ve done all I can for Darius. I managed to stop the bleeding, but until the spells wear off, he won’t be completely healed. The one used on the dagger is stronger than I’ve seen a demon capable of wielding.
“Maybe it has something to do with the fact that this demon, along with I don’t know how many others, have escaped the underworld. The demon said they were hunting down the rest of the warriors of Anubis.”
That could be the case. Usually demons don’t work together, though. This is something new. I’ll warn my other warriors.
“How long before the spells wear off?”
I would think both by morning. The one used to force Darius to shift could be before that. It’s relatively weak compared to the one used on the dagger. Can you handle seeing Darius in his half-jackal form, Brisa?
She nodded, not sure if Anubis could actually “see” her. “I can now. Right after he shifted, it scared the hell out of me. Now I’m more concerned about the demon coming back. I did manage to cut him with Darius’ gold dagger before he disappeared.”
Where is it?
“Somewhere in the kitchen where I dropped Darius’ sword as well.”
Anubis was silent for a few seconds before he spoke again. The demon’s blood was still on the blade. I used it to put a protection spell around the house. You don’t have to worry about him getting in while Darius is still too weak to fight him.
“The demon is going to come back, isn’t he?”
I’m afraid so. He won’t stop until either he or Darius is dead.
“I thought as much. Thanks for helping Darius. I should go to him.”
You love him, don’t you?
A little caught off-guard, Brisa stammered, “Y-yes.”
Then I suggest you keep an open mind when Darius tells you his story, and what it means to be one of my warriors. I’ve moved him to his bed for you. I look forward to talking to you again, Brisa.
She felt Anubis’ presence leave the room. Brisa walked out to the living room and headed for the staircase. She took the steps two at a time. At the top, she hurried down the hallway to Darius’ bedroom.
He lay under the covers, lying so still. Brisa switched on the light before she crossed the room and climbed onto the bed next to him. She lifted the sheets to see Anubis had cleaned and wrapped Darius’ wounds with what looked like unbleached homespun linen. She put her hand on his furred chest and felt it rising and falling with his even breaths.
With nothing to do but wait, Brisa climbed under the covers and carefully snuggled up against Darius’ side. She kept her hand on his chest. The fur that covered it was soft to the touch. She lifted her gaze to look at his face. The temptation to touch him there was too great to ignore. Brisa trailed her fingers along the top of his muzzle, then stroked his forehead to one of the pointed ears on his head.
Feeling no fear of him in this form, curiosity had taken its place. She now knew Darius was a warrior of Anubis, but she had no idea what all that entailed. Or how he’d become one. Anubis had said Darius was immortal. It made her wonder just how old Darius actually was. She had so many questions and none of the answers.
Knowing what Darius was, did that make the budding love she had for him any less? Not really. The only thing she had to wonder about was what his feelings were for her. Yes, he’d said he wanted her to keep him, but she wasn’t immortal. She’d grow old and die, while he stayed young forever. And given what he was, Brisa didn’t even know if he’d have room in his life for her.
It grew later, and Darius hadn’t awakened. Brisa finally got up and turned on the big LCD television that hung on the wall across from the bed, needing a distraction. Every once in a while she found herself putting her hand on Darius’ chest to make sure he was still breathing. She left his side only long enough to get something to drink, then use the bathroom.
Around three in the morning Darius stirred. He groaned before he blinked open his eyes. A sense of relief washed through Brisa, making her feel weak.
“Welcome back,” she said as she leaned over Darius. He tried to sit up, but she pushed him down. “Take it easy. We don’t want you to start bleeding again.”
He turned his head toward her. “You’re still here.”
“Of course I am.”
“I thought… I thought I frightened you too much in this form.”
“I’m not going to lie. You did, but I got over it.” To prove it, Brisa leaned farther down and kissed the top of his muzzle.
“I was going to tell you. I just hadn’t figured on doing it so soon.”
“Well, now I know.”
Darius reached across for her, then let out a groan as he dropped his hand back at his side. “That hurt. I don’t understand why I haven’t healed.”
Brisa stroked his brow. “Anubis said it’s the combination of the two spells used on you that is preventing it. He thinks once they wear off you’ll be fine.”
Darius gave her a surprised look. “You spoke to Anubis?”
She nodded. “Before you passed out, you said Anubis would help. I figured since you’re a warrior of Anubis, and that you had a room dedicated to him, that you used that spot to talk to him. Hearing you ‘praying’ early this morning helped me to put two and two together. I wasn’t sure Anubis would answer me, but he did. He managed to stop your bleeding and got you up here to your bedroom.”
He looked at her solemnly. “Thank you, Brisa. If not for you, I would have been left vulnerable to the demon. I’m surprised he hasn’t come back to finish me off as he said.”
“Thanks to Anubis, he put a protection spell over the house, using the demon’s blood from your gold dagger. I managed to slice him with it. As long as we stay inside he can’t get at us. Anubis also said he’d warn his other warriors. Maybe all of you should band together until the demons are taken care of instead of staying alone.”
“We can’t. Anubis keeps us apart from each other. He even makes sure there aren’t two of us in the same city. I’ve never met the others and have no idea who they are. And I’ve been a warrior for a very long time.”
“Just how long is that, Darius? Tell me your story.”
“I guess there’s no longer any point in not telling it to you. But first, help me sit up. I’m not doing it flat on my back.”
Brisa grabbed the pillow from her side of the bed and placed it against the headboard at Darius’ head along with his. She took hold of his arm when he tried to push himself up, but tugging at him seemed to cause him more pain. Switching positions so she straddled his waist, she helped lif
t him by hooking her arms under his. Once he sat up against the pillows, she shifted to move away, but Darius put his hands on her hips and stopped her.
“You can stay there,” he said.
“What about your thigh? You’re wounded there as well.”
“You’re low enough that you’re not sitting on it.”
Brisa settled back down, careful not to jar him. “Just tell me if it hurts.”
“I will.” Darius took a deep breath. “I’ve been a warrior of Anubis for seven hundred and ninety-four years.”
“That’s almost eight hundred years,” she said, finding it so hard to believe.
“I know. I told you I have been one of the god’s warriors for a very long time.”
“How did it happen? How did you become a warrior?”
“I was already a warrior, a knight, just not one of Anubis’. I’d joined the fifth crusade in 1217. I was originally from Germany.”
“You were on crusade?” Brisa asked, feeling a bit in awe.
“Yes. The fifth crusade was the last one sanctioned by the church. It was decided that we’d try to take Egypt. The first thing we did was attack an important Egyptian settlement called Damietta. The sultan there, by the name of Al-Adil, wasn’t expecting us, but somehow managed to put up a resistance. Though we finally did take the city, which took several months and thousands of lives to accomplish.”
“But you came out of that okay?”
Darius nodded. “After all the loot we found in the city, it was decided we’d attack Cairo next. Once that great city was taken it was thought it would make Egypt powerless and give us an open road to Jerusalem. We met up with a small resistance from the sultan from Damietta on the way, but we outnumbered his men. After that, we pushed on to Cairo. We marched alongside the Nile.” He paused and shook his head. “Our leaders forgot the river flooded. We ended up trapped behind a canal. Retreat was called, but not all of us made it out.”
Brisa picked up Darius’ claw-tipped hand and held it. “That’s where something happened.”
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